The Land Between the Lakes region is a Hikers dream with over 500 miles of trails to explore! Hiking is popular for all ages. Both young and young-at-heart can find enjoyment in a gentle walk through nature exploring the wildflowers, plants, and wildlife that call our local woods home.
Where to Hike?
We suggest going to the Golden Pond Visitor Center and get a map of the local trails. There are many to consider and each trail has its own possibilities for difficulty depending on your own physical capabilities. Some of the trails are more paved for others and some even allow for bikes and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
How to Prepare for Your Hike
Depending on the time of year you’re here to visit; the suggestions may vary slightly based on what to wear, but there are several key things to keep in mind to make sure your trip is enjoyable.
- Bring a Water Bottle – Water stations are not available on these trails. You might encounter a few seasonal springs along the way, but to be certain you have what you need; it is best to be prepared. If you start off at the Golden Pond Visitor Center, they sell water bottles if you want an extra one or two for the trail.
- Tick Prevention – The trails navigate the wooded land throughout the LBL Recreation Area and are home to a variety of active species of ticks (especially from early spring through the first frost). We always recommend making sure you wear bug repellent that contains DEET or Permethrin. (Widely available at local stores in Murray.) Be sure to spray well around key areas like your shoes, socks, and legs. We also recommend wearing a hat or protective scarf on your head to protect against them dropping off a tree and landing on your head.
- Back-Packs – If you brought a backpack equipped with camping equipment and personal supplies, to navigate the trails on a more extended adventure; you’ll need to obtain a free backpacking permit at one of the Welcome Stations or the Golden Pond Visitor Center.
- Bring Binoculars – If you have binoculars, we recommend bringing them along for a greater adventure with discovering creatures in nature. We have a wide range of species of birds and wildlife in the LBL area. Going into the woods where they live seem to increase your odds of coming across them, but they are not always close to the trail. Binoculars can help you have a better opportunity to watch them watch you, at a safe distance.
- Watch for Geocache Locations – There are many geocache locations tucked in and around the Land Between the Lakes area filled with tiny treasures for you and your family to discover. Our guests have enjoyed finding many that are registered on the GeoCaching.com website. They have an Application that you can add to your phone and see for yourself the abundant amount of GPS coordinates registered. This organization has enough treasures to find that it alone could keep a family busy for weeks!
Best Time of Year to Hike?
We have found that Hiking is really a year-round activity popular with our guests. Some visitors have specifically identified that they prefer winter hikes (after our first frost) due to the limited traffic on the trails both from humans and the less desirable critters like snakes and ticks.
We’d be happy to have you as our guest!